$847M Powerball winner remains a mystery – as New Jersey lottery officials urge players to check their tickets

The $847 million Powerball winner in New Jersey remains a mystery, with officials urging lottery players to check their tickets to see if they won the second-largest jackpot in the state’s history.

The winning ticket was purchased Tuesday morning from an automated machine at Wegmans Food Market in the tony town of Montvale — where the median household income is $178,000.

“I think I’m here to declare that New Jersey is the luckiest state in the United States,” James Carey, the executive director of the New Jersey Lottery, told reporters on Thursday.

A view of the customer service area at Wegmans Food Market in Montvale, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, where a winning $847 million lottery ticket was sold. Robert Miller for NY Post

The Wegmans will receive a $30,000 bonus check from selling the lucky ticket, which the store plans to donate to its “Check Out Hunger” campaign to supply local food banks.

“We’re really excited about it. It goes directly to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, so we’re really proud to share that. It’s a huge honor, and we appreciate the opportunity to have sold the winning ticket,” said Wegman’s store manager Nick Tassi.

The ticket holder — whose identity remains a mystery — can choose between the estimated $847 million jackpot or a one-time cash sum of $363.1 million. The winning numbers were 15, 34, 41, 53, 56 and the red Powerball 21.

The Wegmans will receive a $30,000 bonus check from selling the lucky ticket, which the store plans to donate to its “Check Out Hunger” campaign. Robert Miller for NY Post

It is the 12th time New Jersey has produced a Powerball jackpot winner and the first since an anonymous player claimed the $222.6 million prize on June 10, 2024.

The ticket matched all six numbers, making it the ninth-largest jackpot in Powerball history, according to lottery officials.

Montvale is one of the state’s wealthiest towns, with a median household income more than twice the median American household.

Carey urged players to check their tickets to see if they won from Wednesday’s draw, as winners have one year to claim their lottery loot.

” I’m going to tell everyone, check your tickets, because prizes for Powerball range from four dollars and up, all the way up to $847 million,” Carey said.

“The winner and all New Jersey lottery players have one full year to claim a prize, and so that’s from yesterday, so until November 4th, 2027, to claim a prize. But I would claim it immediately,” he said.

Lottery players in New Jersey can remain anonymous, but those who win prizes of $600 or more still have to come to lottery headquarters and provide identification. Getty Images

Lottery players in New Jersey can remain anonymous, but those who win prizes of $600 or more still have to come to lottery headquarters and provide identification.

“If you’re the winner, and you look at that ticket, your numbers came up, here’s what you should do. You should sign the back of the ticket. You should take a picture of it … you should put that ticket somewhere safe, and then I would tell your most trusted friend,” Carey added.

“I would call a lawyer. I would call a tax accountant; I would call a financial advisor,” he said. “This is an extraordinary amount of money, and you’re going to need help from professionals that deal with things like this all the time.”

The New Jersey Lottery has contributed over $1 billion per year to the state’s pension system, New Jersey State Treasurer Aaron Binder said, congratulating the Powerball winner on the “life-changing event.”

“While jackpots like this generate excitement and capture the spotlight, the New Jersey lottery makes an even broader impact every day, providing critical funding that benefits communities and residents throughout the state,” Binder said.

Wegmans shopper Elbiz Vaghdikian, 77, said told The Post she got “goosebumps” after learning the Wegmans was donating its commission to the hungry.

“I hope it goes to someone who makes good use of the money and spreads the wealth,” she said of the lucky winner. “That’s my wish. Let them enjoy their life. God bless them.”

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